Tony Moeaki in Position to Breakout with Alex Smith at QB

By Andrew Fisher

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It’s never been a question of talent with Tony Moeaki, it’s been a question of health. Injuries have plagued the tight end since his days at Iowa, and unfortunately they followed him to the NFL. After a solid rookie campaign, Moeaki missed the entire 2011 season. It was a big disappointment to the Kansas City Chiefs, but he did return close to form in 2013, hauling in nearly 500 yards on a really bad team.

Now, with the addition of Alex Smith, Moeaki sits in the best situation of his career. On top of that, Dwayne Bowe has returned and Donnie Avery is also now on board. The Chiefs have a good amount of weapons on offense, and Smith is only going to make them better. Moeaki probably benefits from the addition of Smith the most, however. We all know how much Smith relied on Vernon Davis, so it’s only natural that he’ll try to develop Moeaki into another reliable pass-catcher in KC.

The harsh reality, though, is that Moeaki is one injury away from losing his status as a starting TE. It seems likely that history will repeat itself sooner or later, so fans will just have to hope for the best.

If the talented TE can take the next step in 2013 for the Chiefs, it will go along way towards helping restore the franchise. With a solid set of offensive play-makers already in place, Moeaki could just be the proverbial icing on the cake for the KC offense. It’s time he steps up and gets it done on the field every Sunday, and shows that he’s not just another injury-prone waste of talent.